{"id":904641,"date":"2026-05-09T07:20:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T12:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/09\/15-travel-moments-that-show-why-memories-outshine-any-souvenir\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T07:20:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T12:20:00","slug":"15-travel-moments-that-show-why-memories-outshine-any-souvenir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/09\/15-travel-moments-that-show-why-memories-outshine-any-souvenir\/","title":{"rendered":"15+ Travel Moments That Show Why Memories Outshine Any Souvenir"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-test-id=\"content\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\n<div data-test-id=\"article-content\">\n<div><picture><source  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/1200x770\/jpg\/de5\/41d\/82b2b25d6e8f3ff9ed9f3be5f8.jpg\" alt=\"15+ Travel Moments That Show Why Memories Outshine Any Souvenir\" title=\"15+ Travel Moments That Show Why Memories Outshine Any Souvenir\" width=\"1200\" height=\"770\" id=\"image999999\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/travel\/\" title=\"Travel\" data-link=\"tag\">Travel<\/a> has this weird superpower: it\u00a0takes ordinary people on\u00a0a\u00a0travel <a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/adventure\/\" title=\"adventure\" data-link=\"tag\">adventure<\/a> or\u00a0a\u00a0chaotic road trip and turns them into storytellers for life. The moments nobody planned, the ones that catch you off guard, make you laugh until it\u00a0hurts, or\u00a0leave you standing somewhere unexpected, wondering how you got so\u00a0lucky.<\/p>\n<p>These stories, gathered from real people online, are proof that the best travel memories rarely come from the itinerary. They come from everything else.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2>\u201cI\u2019m beginning to\u00a0think that the hotel in\u00a0Cambodia was a\u00a0bit dishonest in\u00a0its flyer about the amenities.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"article-image-2\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div><picture><source  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/jpg\/bd1\/fbb\/383f8251309931ae86b7752882.jpg\" alt title width=\"728\" height=\"729\" id=\"image28602126\" fetchpriority=\"high\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602126\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1136952\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4040061\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/7.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Were &#8220;windows&#8221; listed as one if the amenities? If not, they didn&#8217;t really lie to you \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Renting a\u00a0<strong>small house for a\u00a0week on\u00a0a\u00a0Greek island<\/strong>. First night, <strong>at\u00a02\u00a0a.m., the landline rang<\/strong>. I\u00a0didn\u2019t know there was a\u00a0landline. I\u00a0found it\u00a0behind a\u00a0curtain, an\u00a0old rotary phone that had no\u00a0business still working. I\u00a0didn\u2019t answer. <br \/>It\u00a0rang again at\u00a02\u00a0a.m. the second night. And the third. Same time, every night, without fail.<br \/>By\u00a0night four\u00a0I picked\u00a0up. Silence for a\u00a0moment, then an\u00a0<strong>elderly woman\u2019s voice said something in\u00a0Greek<\/strong>. I\u00a0said\u00a0I didn\u2019t speak Greek. Long pause. <br \/>Then, in\u00a0slow <a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/english\/\" title=\"English\" data-link=\"tag\">English<\/a>:<strong> \u201cIs\u00a0Kostas there?\u201d <\/strong>I\u00a0told her\u00a0no, there was no\u00a0Kostas, just\u00a0me. Another pause. <br \/>Then <strong>she started shouting<\/strong>. Loud, fast, full-volume Greek, the kind that needs no\u00a0translation to\u00a0understand that someone is\u00a0absolutely furious. I\u00a0held the phone away from my\u00a0ear and waited. After about two minutes she hung\u00a0up.<br \/>I\u00a0went to\u00a0the front desk the next morning and described the call. The <strong>receptionist <\/strong>closed his eyes slowly, the way people do\u00a0when they\u2019ve been through something many times before. Then he\u00a0explained. <br \/>Kostas and his wife had been coming to\u00a0that house every Christmas for over twenty years. One year <strong>Kostas arrived with someone who was not his wife<\/strong>. The <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/divorce\/\" title=\"divorce\" data-link=\"tag\">divorce<\/a> <\/strong>that followed was, by\u00a0all accounts, spectacular. Now, every holiday season, she called the house to\u00a0check if\u00a0he\u00a0was there and if\u00a0he\u00a0had brought anyone. <br \/>She had been doing this for six years. The receptionist had personally taken four of\u00a0those calls. I\u00a0asked if\u00a0Kostas ever came back. He\u00a0shrugged, \u201cEvery Christmas. Different woman each time.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2>\u201cMy\u00a0husband and\u00a0I are traveling with our baby, cat, and dog. We\u00a0stopped at\u00a0a\u00a0hotel for the night to\u00a0rest, but when\u00a0I went to\u00a0get my\u00a0dog, I\u00a0couldn\u2019t find him. When I\u00a0looked around, I\u00a0saw this.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"article-image-5\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div><picture><source  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/png\/48d\/b87\/ed831154f6aa6407552e004223.png\" alt title width=\"728\" height=\"728\" id=\"image28602135\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602135\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1136955\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4040061\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/7.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>My husband&#8217;s cat, any time an open suitcase is left within reach:<\/p>\n<picture><source  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/400x400\/jpg\/2ea\/c57\/53cfe45ed2a4adca7263c435d6.jpg\" alt=\"Comment with image on Bright Side\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602138\" class>\n<ul>\n<li>Three days into a\u00a0<strong>solo travel trip through rural <a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/portugal\/\" title=\"Portugal\" data-link=\"tag\">Portugal<\/a><\/strong>, <strong>I\u00a0started finding notes under my\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/hotel\/\" title=\"hotel\" data-link=\"tag\">hotel<\/a> room door<\/strong>. Handwritten, in\u00a0English. The first one said: <strong>\u201cI\u00a0see you arrive every night.\u201d<\/strong> The second, the next morning: \u201cI\u00a0know what time you wake\u00a0up.\u201d <br \/>By\u00a0the third note\u00a0I was genuinely considering checking out. I\u00a0went to\u00a0the front desk, hands shaking slightly, and showed them to\u00a0the woman at\u00a0the counter. She read them, covered her mouth, and called someone from the back.<br \/>Out came the <strong>night receptionist<\/strong>, a\u00a0teenager who had been working the late shift all week. He\u00a0explained, very seriously, that <strong>he\u00a0was studying English and had been writing down observations about guests<\/strong> to\u00a0practice descriptive sentences. <br \/>It\u00a0was a\u00a0homework technique his teacher had suggested. He\u00a0had a\u00a0whole notebook. There were descriptions of\u00a0at\u00a0least six other guests, none of\u00a0whom had apparently found them alarming enough to\u00a0complain.<br \/>The third note, which\u00a0I hadn\u2019t finished reading in\u00a0my\u00a0panic, ended with: \u201cYou always look tired but you smile at\u00a0the elevator. This is\u00a0a\u00a0good quality in\u00a0a\u00a0person.\u201d I\u00a0didn\u2019t check out. I\u00a0stayed three extra days. He\u00a0proofread my\u00a0postcards in\u00a0Portuguese in\u00a0exchange.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602138\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137654\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4804373\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/3.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Amazing story good on you for seeing the funny side in the end<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602141\" class>\n<ul>\n<li>On\u00a0a\u00a0flight from Madrid to\u00a0Buenos Aires, <strong>the man next to\u00a0me\u00a0fell asleep before takeoff with a\u00a0book open on\u00a0his lap<\/strong>. Normal enough. Except the book was titled, in\u00a0large letters, <strong>\u201cHow to\u00a0Talk to\u00a0Anyone.\u201d <\/strong><br \/>He\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/mattress\/\" title=\"slept\" data-link=\"tag\">slept<\/a> for eleven hours. He\u00a0woke up\u00a0twenty minutes before landing, looked at\u00a0me, looked at\u00a0the book, and said,<strong> \u201cIt\u00a0doesn\u2019t work.\u201d <\/strong>Then he\u00a0closed\u00a0it, put it\u00a0in\u00a0his bag, and looked out the window for the rest of\u00a0the flight. It\u00a0was the best conversation\u00a0I had the entire trip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\" data-id=\"28602141\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2>\u201cToday is\u00a0my\u00a055th birthday. I\u00a0asked for an\u00a08\u00d710 photo of\u00a0Alfonso Ribeiro in\u00a0my\u00a0hotel room months ago, and they did\u00a0it!!! BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602150\" class>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Traveling through <a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/japan\/\" title=\"Japan\" data-link=\"tag\">Japan<\/a> with basically zero Japanese<\/strong>. <strong>Used an\u00a0app to\u00a0order food at\u00a0a\u00a0tiny <a href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/tags\/restaurant\/\" title=\"restaurant\" data-link=\"tag\">restaurant<\/a>, typed: \u201cI\u2019m vegetarian, no\u00a0meat please.\u201d<\/strong><br \/>The owner came out of\u00a0the kitchen, walked straight to\u00a0my\u00a0table, and bowed so\u00a0deeply\u00a0I thought he\u00a0was going to\u00a0hit the floor. Then he\u00a0clapped twice, said something loudly toward the kitchen, and the entire staff filed out in\u00a0a\u00a0line and bowed in\u00a0my\u00a0direction. A\u00a0woman at\u00a0the next table gasped. <br \/>The owner knelt beside my\u00a0table and gestured toward the door as\u00a0if\u00a0offering me\u00a0the entire restaurant. <strong>I\u00a0had absolutely no\u00a0idea what was happening. <\/strong>The food arrived in\u00a0what felt like a\u00a0ceremonial procession. It\u00a0looked incredible, but\u00a0I took one bite and immediately tasted chicken. <br \/>I\u00a0put my\u00a0fork down, opened the app, and went back to\u00a0check my\u00a0original message. The app had translated \u201cI\u2019m vegetarian, no\u00a0meat please\u201d as\u00a0something close to\u00a0<strong>\u201cI\u00a0am a\u00a0professional fighter. Do\u00a0not provoke\u00a0me.\u201d <\/strong><br \/>A\u00a0college student at\u00a0the next table leaned over, read my\u00a0phone, and collapsed laughing. The entire restaurant joined in\u00a0within about thirty seconds. I\u00a0got a\u00a0completely new meal, dessert on\u00a0the house, and a\u00a0handwritten note\u00a0I still can\u2019t translate. I\u00a0choose to\u00a0believe it\u00a0says something nice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602150\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137657\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4804373\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/3.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Okay well thats awful but I had a similar experience in Rhodes in Greece i was staying in a full board hotel near to Rhodes main town centre anyway i was going on a boat ferry \u26f4\ufe0f trip to another island chawi and i asked for a packed lunch for the next day i told them in English that i wanted two vegetarian sandwiches no apples pickled up my packed lunch the next day and went in my trip anyway it started raining popped into a tavern out if the rain and when I went to eat my lunch I found one apple \ud83c\udf4e\ud83c\udf4f two sandwiches one meat \ud83c\udf56 sandwich \ud83e\udd6aand one with cheese \ud83e\uddc0 i had been talking to some other tourists and decided to give them my meat \ud83e\udd53\ud83c\udf56 sandwich \ud83e\udd6a sandwich but i complained when I got back to the hotel and they made sure for my next day trip that i got no apples or meat sandwich \ud83e\udd6a<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602153\" class>\n<ul>\n<li>Staying at\u00a0a<strong>\u00a0small hotel in\u00a0Portugal<\/strong>, came back to\u00a0my\u00a0room after dinner to\u00a0find a\u00a0<strong>mannequin standing in\u00a0the corner<\/strong>. Full size, no\u00a0clothes, no\u00a0wig, just standing there facing the window with its back to\u00a0the door. I\u00a0stood in\u00a0the doorway for a\u00a0long time processing this. It\u00a0had not been there when I\u00a0left.<br \/>I\u00a0called the front desk. <strong>The owner came\u00a0up, opened the door, looked at\u00a0the mannequin, and said \u201cAh.\u201d<\/strong> Just ah. He\u00a0explained that the <strong>hotel was doing a\u00a0renovation<\/strong> and they had been moving things from room to\u00a0room and someone had put the mannequin there temporarily and then forgotten about\u00a0it. <br \/>I\u00a0asked why the hotel had a\u00a0mannequin. He\u00a0looked at\u00a0me\u00a0like that was the strange part of\u00a0the story. He\u00a0said his wife had bought it\u00a0years ago to\u00a0display scarves. I\u00a0asked where the scarves were. He\u00a0thought about it\u00a0and said he\u00a0wasn\u2019t sure.<br \/> We\u00a0both looked at\u00a0the mannequin for a\u00a0moment. He\u00a0took it\u00a0away. I\u00a0slept with the lights on\u00a0anyway.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602153\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137804\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/5429106\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/13.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>I had a similar experience visiting a hotel in New York City.  In addition to dried food crud on the bedspread and hairs in the bathtub, we found the lower half of a mannequin (from the waist down) under a desk in the room. I had recently seen a creepy movie about children finding a body in their hotel box spring, so this was extremely unnerving.  We called the desk, and the manager came and removed it.  The reason we were given is that the hotel was in the fabric district in New York.  Asian fabric distributers bring a dissembled mannequin in a case to drape their fabrics on when negotiating sales.  I can&#8217;t get my head around a salesperson forgetting half a mannequin when packing the case.<br \/>We moved that night to the YMCA, which was surprisingly much cleaner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2>\u201cA\u00a0friend of\u00a0mine is\u00a0currently travelling across the country. She found these postcards and wasn\u2019t impressed.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"article-image-13\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div><picture><source  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/jpg\/aec\/214\/cd016c5d3b84e393702f1c4711.jpg\" alt title width=\"728\" height=\"755\" id=\"image28602159\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602159\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137234\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/3992942\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/10.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>THIS ACTUALLY DOES LOOK LIKE A RURAL PART OF MISSOURI. AT LEAST FROM WHAT I REMEMBER. IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO, SO&#8230;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602162\" class>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Road trip through rural Ireland<\/strong>. A\u00a0woman we\u2019d met at\u00a0a\u00a0gas station told\u00a0us there <strong>was going to\u00a0be\u00a0a\u00a0dance at\u00a0a\u00a0house in\u00a0the village that night<\/strong> and that we\u00a0absolutely had to\u00a0stay. So\u00a0we\u00a0called an\u00a0Uber and followed the directions to\u00a0this beautiful old manor house at\u00a0the end of\u00a0a\u00a0narrow road.<br \/>We\u00a0walked in\u00a0full of\u00a0energy, smiling at\u00a0everyone, saying hello to\u00a0every face we\u00a0passed. People nodded back, quietly. We\u00a0figured maybe it\u00a0was still early. We\u00a0grabbed some tea from a\u00a0table near the entrance and made ourselves at\u00a0home. <br \/>About 45\u00a0minutes\u00a0in, <strong>we\u00a0spotted a\u00a0man standing near the sound system in\u00a0the corner<\/strong>. We\u00a0walked over, and my\u00a0friend, in\u00a0her best attempt at\u00a0an\u00a0Irish accent, said, <strong>\u201cThis party is\u00a0so\u00a0dead. When does the fun start?\u201d <\/strong>He\u00a0burst into tears. <br \/>The sound system wasn\u2019t for dancing. The man was the deceased\u2019s son, playing his father\u2019s favorite songs at\u00a0a\u00a0low volume. <strong>We\u00a0had walked into a\u00a0wake. <\/strong>We\u00a0were too deep in\u00a0to\u00a0leave without causing a\u00a0scene, so\u00a0we\u00a0stayed. <br \/>We\u00a0listened. We\u00a0ate the sandwiches. The family invited\u00a0us to\u00a0the burial the next morning. We\u00a0went.<br \/>Later we\u00a0checked the Uber app. <strong>We\u00a0had typed the address wrong.<\/strong> The dance was three streets away. We\u00a0never made it\u00a0there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602162\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137678\"><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4804373\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/3.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2>\u201cThis is\u00a0what the hotel staff left in\u00a0my\u00a0room.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"article-image-16\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div><picture><source  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/jpg\/305\/0ed\/c2c67854bfadbf279f4ced316f.jpg\" alt title width=\"728\" height=\"854\" id=\"image28602168\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602168\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1138527\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4654115\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/14.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>I&#8217;d be more horrified by the ceiling tiles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602171\" class>\n<ul>\n<li>Sitting alone at\u00a0a\u00a0restaurant in\u00a0<strong>Seoul<\/strong>, <strong>a\u00a0waiter came to\u00a0my\u00a0table and apologized<\/strong>. Sincerely, formally, hands together, full apology. <strong>I\u00a0had just arrived and hadn\u2019t ordered anything yet<\/strong>, so\u00a0I had no\u00a0idea what he\u00a0was apologizing for. I\u00a0said it\u00a0was fine, not knowing what\u00a0I was saying it\u00a0was fine about. He\u00a0bowed and left.<br \/>Ten minutes later <strong>a\u00a0different waiter came and also apologized<\/strong>. Same energy, same sincerity. Then a\u00a0third one. By\u00a0the end of\u00a0the meal, five separate staff members had apologized to\u00a0me\u00a0and\u00a0I still had no\u00a0idea why. <br \/>The food was excellent, nothing had gone wrong that\u00a0I could identify. I\u00a0left a\u00a0good tip, feeling oddly guilty about something\u00a0I hadn\u2019t done. I\u00a0mentioned it\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0hotel receptionist that night. She asked which restaurant. I\u00a0showed her a\u00a0photo. <br \/>She laughed for a\u00a0long time and then explained that <strong>the restaurant had recently gone viral on\u00a0Korean social media because a\u00a0foreign customer had left a\u00a0review saying the staff never apologized when they should<\/strong>. The owner had responded by\u00a0instructing every staff member to\u00a0apologize to\u00a0every foreign customer preemptively, just in\u00a0case.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602171\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137684\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4804373\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/3.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Funny \ud83d\ude06\ud83e\udd23 story \ud83d\ude33\ud83d\ude32 wow so next time you just need to ask for the manager and not tip everyone at the restaurant<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2>\u201cThere was a\u00a0lady on\u00a0the plane who was eating a\u00a0smelly salad with a\u00a0reading lamp clipped to\u00a0the side.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"article-image-19\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div><picture><source  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/jpg\/7a2\/5fb\/fe488755aca9dc90198501f2bf.jpg\" alt title width=\"728\" height=\"708\" id=\"image28602177\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602177\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137693\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4804373\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/3.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Why was the salad smelly ir was it because you didn&#8217;t like what she was eating \ud83d\ude21\ud83d\ude2d i have had people eating meat products like chicken, pork and other disgusting things and its made queasy so you should leave the poor lady alone<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602180\" class>\n<ul>\n<li>Checked into a\u00a0<strong>small hotel in\u00a0rural Thailand<\/strong>, maybe eight rooms. When I\u00a0handed over my\u00a0passport the owner leaned on\u00a0the counter and said that <strong>there was something\u00a0I should know<\/strong>. <br \/>In\u00a0this village, he\u00a0explained, it\u00a0was a\u00a0<strong>very old local tradition to\u00a0greet people in\u00a0the street by\u00a0clapping once and then pointing at\u00a0the sky<\/strong>. A\u00a0sign of\u00a0gratitude toward the sun, he\u00a0said. <br \/><strong>I\u00a0believed him completely<\/strong>. I\u00a0don\u2019t know why\u00a0I believed him so\u00a0completely. <br \/>I\u00a0went out for a\u00a0walk, saw an\u00a0elderly woman coming the other way, clapped once and pointed firmly at\u00a0the sky with enormous sincerity. The woman stopped walking. Stared at\u00a0my\u00a0finger. Then stared at\u00a0me. Then looked at\u00a0the sky, apparently to\u00a0check if\u00a0something was happening up\u00a0there. <br \/>A\u00a0man nearby saw the whole thing and lost it\u00a0immediately. A\u00a0group of\u00a0kids outside a\u00a0shop started copying\u00a0me, clapping and pointing at\u00a0the sky, screaming and laughing. <br \/>By\u00a0the time\u00a0I got back to\u00a0the hotel, the owner was waiting at\u00a0the door. He\u00a0was completely folded in\u00a0half laughing, one hand on\u00a0the doorframe to\u00a0hold himself\u00a0up. When he\u00a0finally recovered he\u00a0explained that <strong>he\u00a0did this to\u00a0every foreign guest, and<\/strong> <strong>had been doing it\u00a0for nine years<\/strong>. <br \/>I\u00a0asked what the gesture actually meant, if\u00a0anything. He\u00a0wiped his eyes. \u201cNothing. The first guest just looked so\u00a0lost\u00a0I said the first thing that came into my\u00a0head and it\u00a0worked so\u00a0I kept going.\u201d <br \/>His mother came out from the kitchen, looked at\u00a0me\u00a0with an\u00a0expression of\u00a0genuine sympathy, and brought me\u00a0a\u00a0bowl of\u00a0soup. She didn\u2019t say anything. She didn\u2019t need\u00a0to.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602180\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137780\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4511186\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/12.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>These are some of the  funniest stories I&#8217;ve ever seen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h2>\u201cThis is\u00a0possibly the worst window seat ever!\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"article-image-22\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div><picture><source  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/png\/205\/4e2\/17da625892825891e1c5646aa2.png\" alt title width=\"728\" height=\"546\" id=\"image28602186\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602186\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1137948\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4982444\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/4.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Wow, talk about false advertising<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602189\" class>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Booked a\u00a0hotel in\u00a0Bangkok<\/strong>. Normal place, normal price, normal reviews. I\u00a0opened the door to\u00a0my\u00a0room and stood there for a\u00a0solid 30\u00a0seconds just trying to\u00a0understand what\u00a0I was looking\u00a0at.<br \/><strong>Two full-size refrigerators, side by\u00a0side, taking up\u00a0an\u00a0entire wall. No\u00a0bed frame, just a\u00a0mattress on\u00a0the floor<\/strong> pushed up\u00a0against one of\u00a0them. I\u00a0opened both fridges thinking maybe that was the point, maybe they were stocked with something. Empty. Completely empty, but running at\u00a0full power, humming away like they had somewhere to\u00a0be.<br \/>I\u00a0went down to\u00a0the front desk and described the situation as\u00a0carefully as\u00a0I\u00a0could. The woman behind the counter listened, nodded slowly, and said, <strong>\u201cYes, sir. Standard room.\u201d<\/strong> She said it\u00a0the way you\u2019d explain something to\u00a0a\u00a0child who was taking too long to\u00a0understand. I\u00a0went back upstairs. <br \/>I\u00a0slept better than\u00a0I had in\u00a0months. The hum from the fridges was the most soothing thing I\u2019ve ever fallen asleep\u00a0to. I\u00a0still don\u2019t know what the refrigerators were for. I\u00a0didn\u2019t ask again. Some mysteries are better left alone, especially when you\u2019re sleeping great.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602189\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1136967\"><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/4040061\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/7.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div id=\"image28602192\" class>\n<ul>\n<li>We\u00a0booked a\u00a0<strong>\u201cluxury\u201d villa in\u00a0Florida<\/strong>. The <strong>owner <\/strong>texted every hour asking if\u00a0we\u2019d found everything OK. We\u00a0thought he\u00a0was just caring. But <strong>at\u00a0midnight he\u00a0banged on\u00a0the door<\/strong>. <br \/>Still half asleep, we\u00a0heard him screaming, \u201c<strong>Open the door immediately<\/strong>, because all my\u00a0cameras went offline and the last frame showed someone near the gas stove, then black screen. I\u00a0was so\u00a0worried about you. But then I\u00a0thought, maybe you were planning something bad with my\u00a0house, so\u00a0turned them off. Maybe stealing my\u00a0furniture. I\u00a0am sorry for thinking that. Let me\u00a0just check and\u00a0I will leave.\u201d <br \/>That \u201csomeone\u201d was mom in\u00a0a\u00a0face mask shuffling to\u00a0get water, who had unplugged the router with her slipper on\u00a0the way back to\u00a0bed. We\u00a0stood there simultaneously panicking and trying not to\u00a0burst out laughing. This man had made himself the most unforgettable part of\u00a0our entire Florida trip, and honestly the best souvenir we\u00a0brought home was this story.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-id=\"28602192\">\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"image-comments-block\">\n<article data-test-id=\"comment-0\">\n<div data-id=\"comment-1138386\">\n<div><a data-test-id=\"avatar-link\" href=\"http:\/\/brightside.me\/profile\/3997385\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/4.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Totally illegal I would think, I would have packed up and left and complained to the booking agent, demanded a total refund. . .and probably looked into sueing the guy and the booking agent. That is just creepy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>Now tell\u00a0us in\u00a0the comments: what\u2019s the strangest, most unexpected thing that ever happened to\u00a0you on\u00a0a\u00a0trip?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\" data-id=\"28602195\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section data-id=\"article-comments-block\">\n<div>\n<h2>Comments<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div data-test-id=\"no-comments-block\">\n<p>Lucky you! This thread is empty, <\/p>\n<p>which means you&#8217;ve got dibs on the first comment. <\/p>\n<p> Go for it!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-test-id=\"new-comment-editor\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wl-static.cf.tsp.li\/avatars\/icons_wl\/8.png\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section data-test-id=\"articles-section-related\">\n<h2>Related Reads<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p> Michele Kucera<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/brightside.me\/articles\/15-travel-moments-that-show-why-memories-outshine-any-souvenir-846753\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Travel has this weird superpower: it\u00a0takes ordinary people on\u00a0a\u00a0travel adventure or\u00a0a\u00a0chaotic road trip and turns them into storytellers for life. The moments nobody planned, the ones that catch you off guard, make you laugh until it\u00a0hurts, or\u00a0leave you standing somewhere unexpected, wondering how you got so\u00a0lucky. These stories, gathered from real people online, are proof<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":904642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1612,4873],"tags":[5498,10382],"class_list":{"0":"post-904641","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-moments","8":"category-travel","9":"tag-moments","10":"tag-travel"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=904641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904641\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/904642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=904641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=904641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=904641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}